Kochi: The Vytilla Mobility Hub Society (VMHS) governing body on Monday approved a Rs 590-crore project for the second phase of Vytilla mobility hub.
The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, also gave in-principle nod to avail Rs 472 crore loan from French funding agency AFD to implement the project while the state would allot Rs 118 crore.
“We will now submit a project report for the final clearance of the cabinet," said an official of the Kochi Metro Rail Ltd, the implementing agency. “Construction activities will start once we receive the same. The estimated time needed to complete the project is two years.”
The second phase will come up in approximately 26.8 acre. As per the plan, the terminal area will cover 27 per cent of the land. The road and transportation activities utilise 32 per cent while 41 per cent of the area will be retained as green cover.
The second phase will feature a total of 101 bus bays, including 16 boarding and alighting bays for city buses and 76 boarding and nine alighting bays for regional buses. This is in addition to 78 bus bays earmarked for idle bus parking.
The metro passing through the hub will have a station inside, which will be strategically located to ensure smooth and easy access to the bus terminal and the water metro station.
The meet was attended by transport minister A.K. Saseendran, PWD minister G. Sudhakaran, agriculture minister V.S. Sunilkumar, minister for tourism Kadakampally Surendran, chief secretary Tom Jose, Kochi Mayor Soumini Jain, and other top officials.
The VMHS focuses on providing seamless connectivity among various modes of transport such as buses, metro, ferry/ water metro, auto rickshaws and cabs.
